As you guys are aware Marco Sturm turns 32 on September 8 and is returning from major reconstructive surgury. What are your thoughts that PC might urge the guy to consider retirement. The benefits being - 1) it gives the B's immediate Cap relief 2) it gives the B's a chance to evaluate Ryder (or other call up) 3) no pressure on trading Savvy or Timmy Alternatively, Sturm has the option of a complete unpressured recovery and then deciding whether to "unretire" - plus he gets full pay from the insurance.Posted by Devanjan

As you guys are aware Marco Sturm turns 32 on September 8 and is returning from major reconstructive surgury. What are your thoughts that PC might urge the guy to consider retirement. The benefits being - 1) it gives the B's immediate Cap relief 2) it gives the B's a chance to evaluate Ryder (or other call up) 3) no pressure on trading Savvy or Timmy Alternatively, Sturm has the option of a complete unpressured recovery and then deciding whether to "unretire" - plus he gets full pay from the insurance.Posted by Devanjan

Ride him out this year play him on the 3rd and 4th line and if able to trade(if NTC is waive) for prospect or 4th or 5th rd. pick then send on his way. The possibility he may want to go out west LA SJ ANA or south DAL. If and when he is complete healthy try waivers as another option.

Ride him out this year play him on the 3rd and 4th line and if able to trade(if NTC is waive) for prospect or 4th or 5th rd. pick then send on his way. The possibility he may want to go out west LA SJ ANA or south DAL. If and when he is complete healthy try waivers as another option.Posted by Canbostondoit

Why on earth would Marco Sturm want to go out west? And why on earth would anyone put a healthy 20+ goal scorer/superb PKer on waivers?

The only logical things I can see to do are:1. Trade Ryder for a song to a team struggling to make the cap floor.2. When that doesn't work out, demote Ryder to the minors and eat the 4 mil.3. The least popular but a very realistic option...Send Seguin back to junior, let him season 1 more year and play in the world juniors (go Canada). Then next year with Sturm and Ryder off the books, and Chara and Bergeron signed to 'cap friendly' contracts, bring him in for good. Thoughts?

The only logical things I can see to do are:1. Trade Ryder for a song to a team struggling to make the cap floor.2. When that doesn't work out, demote Ryder to the minors and eat the 4 mil.3. The least popular but a very realistic option...Send Seguin back to junior, let him season 1 more year and play in the world juniors (go Canada). Then next year with Sturm and Ryder off the books, and Chara and Bergeron signed to 'cap friendly' contracts, bring him in for good. Thoughts?

1. Islanders are a possibility2. Last resort3. NO! NO! NO!-- Seguin needs to be on this team--- sending him back to Juniors would be a huge mistake and only set him back a year.

The only logical things I can see to do are: 1. Trade Ryder for a song to a team struggling to make the cap floor. 2. When that doesn't work out, demote Ryder to the minors and eat the 4 mil. 3. The least popular but a very realistic option...Send Seguin back to junior, let him season 1 more year and play in the world juniors (go Canada). Then next year with Sturm and Ryder off the books, and Chara and Bergeron signed to 'cap friendly' contracts, bring him in for good. Thoughts?Posted by savybergy77

Sending Seguin back to Junior wouldn't solve the cap problem; his hit will be less than $1 million. He's actually a pretty cheap option.

Sorry your not correct. His salary would only be about a million but his cap hit will be 3.75 per like Taylor Hall. The reality of it is he might not be ready, and at a 3.75 million cap hit, it isn't an expirement the bruins have the luxury of trying. I would prefer him to make the squad but at that cap hit, sending him back has to be considered.

Sorry your not correct. His salary would only be about a million but his cap hit will be 3.75 per like Taylor Hall. The reality of it is he might not be ready, and at a 3.75 million cap hit, it isn't an expirement the bruins have the luxury of trying. I would prefer him to make the squad but at that cap hit, sending him back has to be considered.Posted by savybergy77

Yea, the 3.75 counts against the cap, but with the bonus cushion, the cap hit is basically $900K.

In Response to Re: Cap Relief : Possibility : Yea, the 3.75 counts against the cap, but with the bonus cushion, the cap hit is basically $900K.Posted by beantowngm15

Yeah that's true, but he could meet those bonuses then... But with Sturm on the LTIR it would help as well. But anyway I crunch it, we can't fit in Ryder, Seguin, and Wheeler whenever we hear what the damn arbitrator gives him.

Sorry your not correct. His salary would only be about a million but his cap hit will be 3.75 per like Taylor Hall. The reality of it is he might not be ready, and at a 3.75 million cap hit, it isn't an expirement the bruins have the luxury of trying. I would prefer him to make the squad but at that cap hit, sending him back has to be considered.Posted by savybergy77

In Response to Re: Cap Relief : Possibility : It does not. It goes to this year's cap number. If the B's happen to go over the cap, the overage is applied to the following season.Posted by Not-A-Shot

and I'll ask again: What if he doesn't make the bonuses? How can money go against the cap if it's not earned?

Edited to add:

Bonuses for forwards:

1.Ice Time [aggregate or per game]: Player must be among top six (6) forwards on the Club [minimum 42 Regular Season games played by Player and comparison group]. An Entry-Level SPC may contain a provision for both aggregate and per-game ice time; however, the maximum a player may earn for ice time bonuses is $212,500]

2.Goals: 20 goal minimum

3.Assists: 35 assist minimum

4.Points: 60 point minimum

5.Points per Game: 0.73 points per game [minimum 42 Regular Season games played]

6.Plus-Minus Rating: Among the top three (3) forwards on the Club [minimum 42 Regular Season games played by Player and comparison group]

Just ran this through CapGeek with Wheeler's amount at $2.2M. When Sturm comes back, just demote Thornton to Providence and you can keep everyone including Ryder and put whoever's not performing on the 4th line with Campbell and Paille.

Yeah you're right, let's put a 20 goal scorer in Ryder down in the minors or have to trade picks with him to dump his salary and leave a goon who gets 5 min's of ice team and gets 5 points a year on the team. People don't understand that you win games by scoring goals and not by having cement heads running around staging fights. Your 4th line has to produce some points as well. What helped Chicago and Philly make it to the finals.....Troy Brouwer 8 pts, Andrew Ladd 6pts, Arron Asham 7 pts in the playoffs. Oh yeah, Shawn Thornton....0 Pts in the playoffs. Yeah, he's a real ASSet to the Bruins.

Yeah you're right, let's put a 20 goal scorer in Ryder down in the minors or have to trade picks with him to dump his salary and leave a goon who gets 5 min's of ice team and gets 5 points a year on the team. People don't understand that you win games by scoring goals and not by having cement heads running around staging fights. Your 4th line has to produce some points as well. What helped Chicago and Philly make it to the finals.....Troy Brouwer 8 pts, Andrew Ladd 6pts, Arron Asham 7 pts in the playoffs. Oh yeah, Shawn Thornton....0 Pts in the playoffs. Yeah, he's a real ASSet to the Bruins.Posted by stunner416

It's all about SALARY CAP. Sorry if you don't comprehend that, but that's the reality of the NHL in this day and age. That's why Philly traded Gagne for a seventh defenseman. That's why Chicago held a fire sale. That's why Vancouver is going to be dumping salary before the season starts. That's why Montreal dumped Halak and held on to Price (which, BTW, they may end up regretting big time.)

Thornton is a dependable fourth-line grinder who will play 10 minutes a game, police the ice and spend time in the penalty box so Lucic and Chara don't have to. I'd love nothing more than a team full of snipers and lovely skaters, but you don't win in the NHL without (inexpensive) spear-carriers as well.

As you guys are aware Marco Sturm turns 32 on September 8 and is returning from major reconstructive surgury. What are your thoughts that PC might urge the guy to consider retirement. The benefits being - 1) it gives the B's immediate Cap relief 2) it gives the B's a chance to evaluate Ryder (or other call up) 3) no pressure on trading Savvy or Timmy Alternatively, Sturm has the option of a complete unpressured recovery and then deciding whether to "unretire" - plus he gets full pay from the insurance.Posted by Devanjan

Marco Sturm is very serviceable at this point. Any 32 year old is wanting to have his or her tendons flexible and responsive. Any 58 year old, will laugh and say the days are numbered for quick recovery. Modern day medicine will allow Sturm to play but he will not be the player he once was when he was 28 or such. That said, he is a valuable experienced player who could very well be the player to be traded or as mentioned serviceable in the Bs playoffs. Ryder on the other hand is another story.

The bonus for this year is an in and out thing, so no it does not count against the cap this year. The max cap is 59.4M with bonus cap at 4.455M. The B's have Rec at 950K and Seg at 2.875M will be well within the bonus cap for it not to count against the cap this year, but bonus's earned will be against next years cap.

So yes only 900K will count against the cap this year unless they play more players with bonus hits that moves them over the 4.455 bonus cap which is not going to happen.

Who says we need cap relief anyway? We're set until Sturm comes back. And if we can learn anything from history, we will unfortunately have someone else on ltir by then.Posted by BadHabitude

We do need some type of cap relief. If the Wheeler award is accepted, there is a little over $1.3M in cap space. Seguin will probably come in at $900K so that $400K is not going to be enough to fill the last roster spot.